Public Television, Radio Funding

In response to Sen. Dole’s commentary and his attack on KCRW, we wish to reply as follows:

Given the way Washington conducts its business, the Senate “hold” may be a time-honored tradition, but most of our listeners had never heard of this practice until we brought it to their attention. They were as appalled as we were at the notion of a “silent filibuster” that can hold up debate on a bill indefinitely--or until politically expedient for its opponents, no matter how few.

We actually agree with Dole that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting reauthorization bill should be “debated in the light of day.” In fact, that’s exactly what we said to our listeners: that we wanted the anonymous senators to lift their hold and debate the issues publicly on the floor of the Senate.

Evidently, Dole’s fellow senators felt the same way; they voted 87 to 7 for cloture, a procedure that removed the hold but still hasn’t gotten the bill to the floor for action.

What is troubling is what Dole didn’t say: That both privately and publicly, he has attacked National Public Radio as a liberally biased tool of the National Democratic Party, and that he is angry with NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg’s coverage of the Anita Hill story.

As frequent critics of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, we know there are things that need fixing. But we join the public broadcasting system in opposing any amendments that would interfere with the stations’ local autonomy or the editorial decision-making of public broadcasters.

WILL LEWIS, Management Consultant, KCRW, Santa Monica